Some Data Is Hard To Describe

This is a challenge to overcome in making a LarchDataDescription language.

Some data is fuzzy. For example, if you have to query a web page and pluck the data out of the resulting HTML stream, then you're at the mercy or the web-site owner not to muck with format much.

Other data is well-defined but unusual. For example, take a Terrapix image. You'd like to say it's n x n. And, you'd like to say it's RGB. But, the Bayering makes those concepts a little wonky. What happens when someone wants to get the RGB value of a particular pixel? At what point do they just plain have to know how they want to deal with the Bayering? How much can we hide from them?

-- PatrickStein - 25 Mar 2005